Ban Fortnite Petitioner Suggests 'Restraints' for Game

By Dalton Cooper 23 April 2018

A couple of months ago, a pair named Chloe and Jaden created a petition to “get rid of” the increasingly popular Fortnite, apparently as a joke. Recently, the petition has started to gain some momentum, catching the attention of the mainstream news media and nearing 1,500 signatures at the time of this writing. In response to this, Chloe has posted an update on the petition’s page that suggests a different goal than outright banning the game.

In the post, which Chloe has since removed her name from, she acknowledges that a petition to ban Fortnite is unlikely to succeed. However, she says that “putting restraints” on Fortnite as a possibility that could “help” those with significant others and kids who are playing the game excessively. Chloe doesn’t elaborate on what these restrictions would be, but it seems likely that she is referring to something like a time limit on how long a person can play Fortnite in any given day or something similar.

“Hey all signers! i know all of you are hopeful this game goes down the drain and with all the attention it’s getting It seems possible. With over a million players worldwide the most they could do would be putting restraints on It in some way which i hope could still help all of you (and me) with your significant others and kids.”

The post on the petition’s main page has also been updated since yesterday. The edited content says that “the game has caused quite an uproar with a lot of women,” and reiterates that while the pair originally made the petition as a joke, that they “might” leave it up because of the attention it’s getting. Plus, the pair states, “It seems [excessive Fortnite playing is] actually a serious problem from when [the petition] was made 2 months prior.” The edited post then ends saying that there will be no more edits on the petition moving forward.

While Chloe and Jaden acknowledge that it is virtually impossible for the petition to lead to Fortnite being banned, it’s also worth pointing out that it is unlikely to result in any “restraints” being placed on the game either. After all, the petition has only managed to drum up about 1,500 signatures since its launch two months ago, and that is an extremely small number compared to the millions of people that play Fortnite on a regular basis.

Furthermore, it’s worth pointing out that the game’s negative impact on mental health may be exaggerated. At least one researcher, Andrew Reid from Glasgow Caledonian University in Scotland, has asserted that the game is not addictive, and may be less damaging to the mental health of children than titles with more realistic and violent imagery.

Regardless, it will be interesting to see if the petition continues to amass signatures, or if it will fizzle out.

Fortnite is available now on iOS mobile devices and in early access on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.